The United States launched an unarmed intercontinental ballistic missile from Vandenberg Space Force Base in California early this morning — the first of two test launches scheduled for this week.
The Air Force Global Strike Command shared video and images of the Minuteman III missile as the missile left a scorching trail of smoke and flames across the sky north of Santa Barbara.
The test was conducted by a joint team of aircraft from the Air Force Global Strike Command, a branch of the US Air Force responsible for nuclear deterrence, and was supported by the Space Force ranger, the command said in a statement.
The announcement noted that the test launch program was designed “to validate and verify the safety, effectiveness and readiness of the weapon system.”
“This test launch marks the beginning of an incredible week for our rangers and airmen at Vandenberg, with two test launches planned from the western beam,” said Col. Bryan Titus, deputy commander of the military’s Space Launch Delta 30 unit, which manages operations at West Coast.
“These tests are of tremendous importance, not only for the defense of our nation, but also serve as a key moment in demonstrating the exceptional skills and expertise of our dedicated team,” the US colonel added.
An announcement from the public affairs team for Space Launch Delta 30 reiterated that it is routine test launches of unarmed intercontinental ballistic missiles such as the Minuteman III, a model that first became operational in the 1970s, according to the Weapons Center Air Force Nuclear.
There are currently 400 Minuteman III missiles at various Air Force bases across the country, which the military wing describes as a strategic weapons system intended to serve as a “credible and effective nuclear deterrent.”
Similar tests have been conducted more than 300 times before, Space Launch Delta 30 said, adding that they were “not a result of current world events” but instead aimed “to demonstrate that the United States’ nuclear deterrent is secure and reliable, effective in deterring 21st century threats and securing our allies.”
Normally, Vandenberg’s Minuteman III test flights end with the rocket’s reentry vehicle traveling more than 6,400 kilometers across the Pacific Ocean at a speed of 25,750 kilometers per hour, from coastal California to Kwajalein Atoll in the Marshall Islands.
During another routine test launch last November, a Minuteman III missile launched from the same base was intentionally destroyed over the Pacific due to “an anomaly,” the Air Force Global Strike Command said in a statement at the time.